From clown in reel life to real life - Sharukh Khan

Sharukh started his entertainment career as a clown in a circus in reel life and is more or less likely to end up as a clown in real life too.

No doubt he has invested substantial sums of money in the Kolkotta Knight Riders team, but that doesn't mean that he knows cricket better than the likes of Little Master – Sunny Gavaskar and Dada Ganguly. He has more detractors than friends than ever before.

Sunil Gavaskar is a legend in world cricket. For long he was the highest run getter, highest centurion and highest catcher in the world cricket till another Little Master Sachin Tendulkar over shadowed him. Gavaskar was the one who put India on the Cricket world map and made India count. Who can forget his contest with the likes of Dennis Lillee, Jef Thomson, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Malcom Marshall, Richard Hadlee and Imran Khan.

Dada Ganguly along with Sachin Tendulkar was the most potent opening pair in world cricket in One day matches. He is one of the most successful captains of Indian cricket and also taught us to stand up and take on the mighty. Who can forget our famous overseas win against England and the famed series win against Steve Waugh.

Does Sharukh think he is above these two pillars of Indian cricket and rough shod over them. His only weapon is a failed first class cricketer John Buchanan. He may claim responsibility for the Aussie’s success. Any one, even if Sharukh was the coach the Aussies would have won, with the likes of Shane Warne, Glen McGrath, Adam Gilchrist, Steve Waugh and others in their side.

Time again it has been proved that experience counts. Lets not deride the greats like Gavaskar and Dada based on a coach’s advise. What’s this theory of multiple captains ?. What better example can we have than our neighbouring country of Pakistan which has multiple captains steering the country. It is a road to disaster. “Why not have multiple Directors, Sharukh?” Are they trying to challenge the fundamentals of management, viz. “unity of command”.

The sooner he realizes its better, otherwise he is bound to lead KKR to disaster and make a clown of himself not just before world cricket but before the whole world. Come on Sharukh, this is real life and not reel life. Wake up............ You are better off, dancing with the girls on screen than dancing with cricketers on the field. Stick to your core competence and dont mess up with cricket.

Sharukh - "You have won more detractors than friends"

Dear Sharukh,

I was a great fan of you till the other day. We dont know whether you are driven by passion towards cricket or by the position of being the Team owner of Kolkotta Knight Riders. You are wandering into unchartered territory. You are no expert in cricket and are trying to take on the likes of Gavaskar and Ganguly. Neither is Buchanan, a failed first class cricketer whose only achievement is that he was the coach of the Australian Cricket team. Any one would have led Australia to victory if they had the talents like Glen Magrath, Shane Warn, Bret Lee, Steve Waugh and others.

In this years edition of IPL, you have lost the battle even before it has begin. Where was the need for the controversy of captaincy. You yourself has acknowledged that Ganguly was the best Indian captain. This theory of mulitple captaincy and the explanations given by Buchanan is laughable and is a sure recipe for disaster. The two of you not only challenging Gavaskar and Ganguly's skills but are also trying to challenge the basic principles of Management viz. "Unity of Command". Look whats happening in our neighbouring state of Pakistan. There are multiple captains and leaders and where is the country leading to... a complete disaster.

You are best at Entertainment. No doubt you have invested substantially into the KKR team but then leave it to time tested cricket experts to run the show. I am afraid you will turn the IPL into a Circus and make a Clown yourself.

A Quiz to test your intelligence

Wanna test your intelligence. Here are some (105) interesting questions to test your 'grey matter'......
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddgjbvf3_162mff94xc5

Acronyms and abbreviations dictionary for training and business

This acronyms list contains acronyms and abbreviations with origins in the army, navy, medical, computers, internet, business and training fields, including the best funny acronyms and abbreviations. Use this acronyms and abbreviations finder to spice up your reports, speeches and presentations. Strictly speaking, acronyms are words formed from the abbreviations of others, but as you'll see, many of these acronyms aren't words at all, and even some of the best known acronyms like LASER and RADAR have bent the acronym rules. Acronyms, whether true acronyms or not, and abbreviations add colour and fun to our language. Acronyms and abbreviations assist learning. Acronyms and abbreviations used properly also enhance communications. Many acronyms and abbreviations are also motivational and inspirational for training. Some of these great acronyms and abbreviations originated as far back as the 1940's, others more recently. When using acronyms and abbreviations for serious communications ensure that definitions and meanings are understood.

.....Read on.......
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddgjbvf3_156fvp9jtgq

HR in India and China - the difference

Noodles are costlier than dosa and so are their cooks! Employees in China cost their employers more than their Indian counterparts, reveals Mercer’s 2005 China and India: Comparative HR Advantages report. While India certainly is less expensive than China, the report shows that neither country has a clear advantage over the other in any of the important aspects of human resource management.

Drawing partly from the What's Working country reports for China and India, this report compares economic trends, HR and business issues, remuneration levels, and regional differences among cities in each country. China and India: Comparative HR Advantages is a ready reference for HR managers to understand the emerging issues and trends in HR practices of these two countries.

.....Read on ......

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddgjbvf3_154frdsxjdg

American vs Asian style of Leadership

The rapid economic development of Asia in recent decades is one of the most important events in history. This development continues today and there is every reason to anticipate that it will continue indefinitely unless derailed by possible but unlikely international conflicts. At the core of Asian economic development is its business leadership—managers and entrepreneurs who sustain and create Asian companies. Do they exhibit the same leadership styles as top executives in the West?

There are important differences. Are differences attributable to different cultures or to different stages of corporate development?

......Read on......

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddgjbvf3_152kw3q39gr

Crazy IdeaMicrosoft

Chief Technology Officer Nathan Myhrvold once sent Bill Gates a memo on a crazy idea:
"I even... I think the title of the thing was 'a crazy idea,'" Myhrvold recalled. "And he sent me back this piece of mail that I have always cherished since then, and it said: 'This is the most bizarre, craziest idea you've ever had; please proceed.'"

Rudyard Kipling's inspirational poem - 'If'

Rudyard Kipling's (1865-1936) inspirational poem 'If' first appeared in his collection 'Rewards and Fairies' in 1909. The poem 'If' is inspirational, motivational, and a set of rules for 'grown-up' living. Kipling's 'If' contains mottos and maxims for life, and the poem is also a blueprint for personal integrity, behaviour and self-development. 'If' is perhaps even more relevant today than when Kipling wrote it, as an ethos and a personal philosophy. Lines from Kipling's 'If' appear over the player's entrance to Wimbledon's Centre Court - a poignant reflection of the poem's timeless and inspiring quality.

The beauty and elegance of 'If' contrasts starkly with Rudyard Kipling's largely tragic and unhappy life. He was starved of love and attention and sent away by his parents; beaten and abused by his foster mother; and a failure at a public school which sought to develop qualities that were completely alien to Kipling. In later life the deaths of two of his children also affected Kipling deeply.

Rudyard Kipling achieved fame quickly, based initially on his first stories and poems written in India (he returned there after College), and his great popularity with the British public continued despite subsequent critical reaction to some of his more conservative work, and critical opinion in later years that his poetry was superficial and lacking in depth of meaning.

Significantly, Kipling turned down many honours offered to him including a knighthood, Poet Laureate and the Order of Merit, but in 1907 he accepted the Nobel Prize for Literature. Kipling's wide popular appeal survives through other works, notably The Jungle Book (1894) the novel, Kim (1901), and Just So Stories (1902).

Read on the poem ...........
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddgjbvf3_151g2z5xnf4

Business financial terms and ratios definitions

These financial terms definitions are for the most commonly used UK financial terms and ratios. They are based on UK Company Balance Sheet, Profit and Loss Account, and Cashflow Statement conventions. Lots more sales and revenue related terms are in the glossary in the sales training section. Certain financial terms often mean different things to different organizations depending on their own particular accounting policies. Financial terms will have slightly different interpretations in different countries. So as a general rule for all non-financial business people, if in doubt, ask for an explanation from the person or organization responsible for producing the figures and using the terms - you may be the only one to ask, but you certainly will not be the only one wodering what it all means. Don't be intimidated by financial terminology or confusing figures and methodology. Always ask for clarification, and you will find that most financial managers and accountants are very happy to explain.
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddgjbvf3_146fg2gjrf8

Relaxation Techniques

Relaxation is the key to happiness, good health, re-energising and positive thinking. In todays world of stress, competition and over ambitious life style, we need to take some time off to calm our nerves, our muscles and our mind. Well here is some tips......

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddgjbvf3_90cd22ddhs

What is your communication style ?

Communication is the key for sucess in any walk of life, be it personal, social or business. In fact its the key to inter-personal relationship and to harmony within self and others. Lets see how good a communicator you are. Are you ready to take the test. Here it is..............
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddgjbvf3_88ftgdb5d4

What is Personal Mastery?

By Karin Leonard
The spring/summer issue of “What is Enlightenment?” magazine compares and contrasts self-mastery with spirituality. Interestingly, the publishers had difficulty finding female professionals in the personal development field willing to use the word “Mastery”. These women felt the term means controlling oneself and others, and would block the process of spiritual unfolding from within. Since I happen to be female, and because I have stood by “Personal Mastery” ( as a column since 1993), I’d like to share a different view.

Master the Process

Practicing the “Kaizen” of Personal Mastery means that you are committed to the continuous improvement of everything you do, in all areas of your life. This is an ongoing journey of learning, where your results reflect feedback for the future, not failure. Moreover, mastery implies that because you value your innate gifts, you set up structures and support in your life, in order to fully and reliably express them. So-called self-discipline, then, is not an act of controlling and punishing yourself, but is motivated by self-love.

Mastery doesn’t block unfolding from within, but catalyzes and sustains it. For some exceptional folks it may be fine to just flow with the spontaneous expression of the self, yet for the rest of us, both inspiration and structure are required. Inspiration alone risks loosing momentum, and structure without spirit crumbles in the dust. In my private practice for example, my clients may engage in deep hypnotic process work, and we also discuss specific daily actions to follow through on the inner shifts that have occurred.

Internal Synergy

“Mastery” does not necessarily imply “controlling” anyone, including oneself. What works over time is to integrate the various and often conflicting aspects of personality. The goal is to get all of you on the same team, working together, instead of internal struggle, sometimes bordering on warfare. For example, you may well be able to make yourself stay away from cigarettes, for a while… But eventually the “control” stops working, and the old habits come back. Unless the reasons why you smoked in the first place are addressed effectively, change is unlikely to last. To develop enduring new good habits, all parts of your being need to be honored and understood, not suppressed and conquered.

Personal Power

As you create internal synergy, your personal power grows, and you then naturally take the driver’s seat to your destiny. This includes assuming complete responsibility for the direction your life is headed. You realize that you can create anything you want, within your circle of influence, and according to your skills, talents and competence. Some say this takes self-discipline. I prefer to use the term personal power, and with that the willingness to be at choice. Real power comes from listening to the stirrings of soul. Becoming who you are meant to be means living in harmony with the mysterious heartbeat of life itself. Unfolding your potential can not be made to happen from the level of ego, it can only be supported by creating the right conditions.

In the end, Personal Mastery is the journey of tapping your full potential as a human being – through being the leader of your life, and by co-creating with the spirit that runs through you.

Passage to India

Companies attracted to the country’s potential must do more than merely transplant products and systems that have succeeded elsewhere, say Kuldeep P. Jain, Nigel A. S. Manson, and Shirish Sankhe.
India, for some time now the focal point of the global trend toward strategic offshoring, has simultaneously become appealing as a market in its own right. With GDP growth more than double that of the United States and the United Kingdom during the past decade, and with forecast continued real annual growth of almost 7 percent,1 India is one of the world's most promising and fastest-growing economies, and multinational companies are eagerly investing there.
.....Read on.........
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddgjbvf3_86hk5h87gn

The blind men and the elephant (perception, truth, perspective, empathy, communications and understanding)

There are various versions of the story of the blind men and the elephant. The blind men and the elephant is a legend that appears in different cultures - notably China, Africa and India - and the tale dates back thousands of years.

Some versions of the story feature three blind men, others five or six, but the message is always the same. Here's a story of the six blind men and the elephant:

Six blind men were discussing exactly what they believed an elephant to be, since each had heard how strange the creature was, yet none had ever seen one before. So the blind men agreed to find an elephant and discover what the animal was really like.

It didn't take the blind men long to find an elephant at a nearby market. The first blind man approached the beast and felt the animal's firm flat side. "It seems to me that the elephant is just like a wall," he said to his friends.

The second blind man reached out and touched one of the elephant's tusks. "No, this is round and smooth and sharp - the elephant is like a spear."

Intrigued, the third blind man stepped up to the elephant and touched its trunk. "Well, I can't agree with either of you; I feel a squirming writhing thing - surely the elephant is just like a snake."

The fourth blind man was of course by now quite puzzled. So he reached out, and felt the elephant's leg. "You are all talking complete nonsense," he said, "because clearly the elephant is just like a tree."

Utterly confused, the fifth blind man stepped forward and grabbed one of the elephant's ears. "You must all be mad - an elephant is exactly like a fan."

Duly, the sixth man approached, and, holding the beast's tail, disagreed again. "It's nothing like any of your descriptions - the elephant is just like a rope."

And all six blind men continued to argue, based on their own particular experiences, as to what they thought an elephant was like. It was an argument that they were never able to resolve. Each of them was concerned only with their own idea. None of them had the full picture, and none could see any of the other's point of view. Each man saw the elephant as something quite different, and while in part each blind man was right, none was wholly correct.

There is never just one way to look at something - there are always different perspectives, meanings, and perceptions, depending on who is looking.

An eye opener - Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam

"I have three visions for India.

In 3000 years of our history, people from all over the world have come and invaded us, captured our lands, conquered our minds. From Alexander onwards. The Greeks, the Turks, the Moguls, the Portuguese, the British, the French, the Dutch, all of them came and looted us, took over what was ours. Yet we have not done this to any other nation.

We have not conquered anyone.We have not grabbed their land, their culture, their history and tried to enforce our way of life on them. Why? Because we respect the freedom of others. That is why my first vision is that of FREEDOM.

I believe that India got its first vision of this in 1857, when we started the war of independence. It is this freedom that we must protect and nurture and build on. If we are not free, no one will respect us.My second vision for India is DEVELOPMENT. For fifty years we have been a developing nation. It is time we see ourselves as a developed nation.We are among top 5 nations of the world in terms of GDP. We have 10 percent growth rate in most areas. Our poverty levels are falling. Our achievements are being globally recognized today. Yet we lack the self-confidence to see ourselves as a developed nation, self- reliant and self-assured. Isn't this incorrect?

.............Read on..........

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddgjbvf3_85hkvrsrff

Useful Information on Bangalore - Yellow Pages

Wanna go on a vacation, dine, have a haircut, go to a movie, drink at a bar, play pool at a pool joint, order some piza's, bowl at the bowling alleys or just relax at a club. Well here is our very own Bangalore Yellow pages. Hope you find it useful.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pStX-EF0bd9q4CObfPGERPA

Lessons from Chak De

Chake De is an inspirational story of an under-dog womens hockey team rising to win the world cup. Kabir Khan played by Sharukh Khan, portrays what inspirational leadership is all about. How a bunch of inspired, determined, courageous, positive minded people can conquer against all odds inspite of some internal bickerings is what "Chak De" all about. Hope you enjoy it....

http://docs.google.com/Presentation?id=ddgjbvf3_66f6dxc6cz

Dabbawallahs of Mumbai

Here is a nice presentation on the Dabbawallahs of Mumbai. A motely of determined, passionate, sincere and hardworking people can deliver 6 sigma quality service, rain or shine. They may be uneducated but compensate with their attitudes & behaviours. A shining example of "what they dont teach you at Harvard....."

http://docs.google.com/Presentation?id=ddgjbvf3_40hrcv9tdx

What went wrong ?

This is the story of four people: Everybody,
Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.
There was an important job to be done, and
Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.
Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.
Somebody got angry, because it was
Everybody’s job. Everybody thought that
Somebody would do it.
But nobody asked Anybody.
It ended up that the job wasn’t done, and
Everybody blamed Everybody, when actually
Nobody asked Anybody.

What others see in You !!!

Here is a very interesting personality tool. "What others see in You". Take it and have fun.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pStX-EF0bd9o_S3x6O8WMaw

India A Great Power

Here is a very nice presentation on India a Great Power. Know the past, present and future of India. A very vivid presentation. Hope you like it.
http://docs.google.com/Presentation?id=ddgjbvf3_1cncc8rfz

Mount Road

In the midst of the city of Madras
A road that was named after douting Thomas
A road so long as ever seen
And the crowd that flocks has never been
In any other road, other than Mount Road

The beauty of the road
Is like that of a black board
So dark and shining
With the buildings soaring
All along the edge of Mount Road

The cop stands in the middle
With a thing in his mouth, known as a "biggle"
Which sounds shrill through the air
That stops all the vehicles like a stare
All this happens on the Black Mount Road

For the pleasure seeking kid
There's fun all over, to make him a nit-wit
With the theatres and hotels within everyone's reach
Like the pebble strewn all over the beach
Along the pleasant Mount Road

Here and there is a sub-way
Through which the pedestrians make their way
And there is a fly-over
Which makes all the vehicles to hop over
So exciting and thrilling is busy-busy Mount Road

A poem written on Mount Road in Chennai (Madras), India.
by Ramesh Ranjan
published in 1985 as 1st year student at Madras School of Social Work, Chennai

Our Journey to the New World - A medley of travelogue of Raju & Manna

My parents late Dr. K Rajagopal and Mrs.Manoranjini Rajagopal had visited the United States of America in 1989. This is a travelogue jotted down by my father on his visit to the US and I helped reconstruct it and published it as a book in 2009. Read on..........  https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0yQGJJK9ID6dVBLaUV3WFgwNUE/edit

All purpose conversion tool in excel sheet

This is an all purpose conversion kit, created in excel sheet.
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pStX-EF0bd9pJglDUfhGtVw
Hope you find it useful.

ATM Lists in India

Here are the list of ATM's available in India.
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pStX-EF0bd9o16cEm2l-oKQ
Hope you will find it useful.

Perpetual Calendar

This is a useful tool. The perpetual calendar. Just enter the year and you will get the annual calendar.
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pStX-EF0bd9ooZRL7WDIISg
Hope you like it.

The human side of downsizing ?

A lay off of any employee is usually a result of economic stresses, a company’s change of direction and cost cutting. Lay off is a dirty business, but necessary for a company to survive and compete successfully.

Jobs lasting a lifetime no longer exist. Today an employee lay off isn’t a black mark on a employee’s record, but an unpleasant experience. By definition, an employee isn’t at fault when you lay him off. His performance and behaviour have been good. Unfortunately he’s just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

It is here that the Human Resources professionals will have to step in and help the company manage this change. Sure this situation is going to whip up a lot of people emotions in the company at all levels. The realisation is that for a company to move ahead, its employees need to move in tandem. Everything comes to a naught if the employees don't care about where the company is going.

“The essence of effective people management is managing emotions,” James K. Clifton, chairman and CEO of the Gallup Organization, told the Society for Human Resource Management Foundation at its Thought Leaders retreat in 2002.

Another author Thomas A Hickok has said “First, it clearly appears that power has shifted away from rank-and-file employees in the direction of top management/ownership. Accompanying this change is a shift in emphasis away from the well-being of individuals in the direction of the pre-eminence and predominance of the organization as a whole. Second, it appears working relationships have changed away from being "familial" in the direction of being more competitive. Third, the employer-employee relationship has moved away from long-term and stable in the direction of short-term and contingent.”

Hickok suggested five simple question areas that organizational leaders who are interested in probing the moral and spiritual dimensions of downsizing might usefully consider. These include ensuring the fundamental decency of the approach being considered, engaging in appropriate dialogue, thinking through the consequences for those who may be adversely affected, having ready explanations for multiple constituencies, and offering a realistic opportunity for a better future for the organization and the organization’s stakeholders.

Employee Engagement

Organisations need to engage their employees, keep them constantly informed on the progress of the company, the competitive market conditions, the progress of the competitors and share the financial performance of the company. The key is to be transparent, let employees know the status and to prepare them for any eventualities. Organisations have to win the trust of its employees and establish its credibility.

The engagement challenge is about how an employee feels about the work experience, about how he or she is treated. It has a lot to do with emotions. Research after research have concluded that employee emotions are fundamentally related to—and actually drive—bottom-line success in a company.

There is a constant struggle to win trust and establish credibility. You can have the best of the programs in the world—all of it can be lost in a second if the organization does something to destroy the credibility it has built.

A HR Manager of an organization that went through some downsizing exercise shared his experience : “The mistake we made is that we did not work very hard in making the team members understand the competitive situation we were in” and why the discussion breaks had to end. “We should have been doing more education about what the future might be for them – They (employees) wanted to understand the company’s business strategy and where they fit in.”

• It takes a huge commitment in time and energy for organizations engaging their people. But relative to some of the other investments they make, it has a pretty good return.
  In my personal experience I would suggest that to manage downsizing an organization would have to take care of the following:
  
  
• Is it really necessary. Are there no other alternatives?
• Be transparent, prepare your employees well in advance, win their trust and confidence.
• Confide with them about the eventuality and communicate to all employees. Don’t hide any facts.
• If inevitable be fair in identifying employees to be separated.
• Give them sufficient time to depart. Don’t stop them from coming to work the next day.
• Compensate them adequately for the severance in line with market practice and not driven just by the legal provisions.
• As said earlier be humane in your approach and treat these employees with dignity and compassion.

James K. Clifton, chairman and CEO of the Gallup Organization, told the Society for Human Resource Management Foundation at its Thought Leaders retreat in 2002 : “I think the next decade is going to be about the emotional economy of the workplace,” he said. “HR has an enormous opportunity to provide organizational leadership by increasing the number of engaged workers....HR is the only one with the answers to increased worker engagement. The question is whether companies and organizations will now turn to HR for their strategic leadership in this area.”

Leadership Quotes

• "A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves." --Lao Tzu
• "The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority." --Ken Blanchard
  "Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile." --Vince Lombardi
• "Good leaders make people feel that they're at the very heart of things, not at the periphery. Everyone feels that he or she makes a difference to the success of the organization. When that happens people feel centered and that gives their work meaning." --Warren G. Bennis
• "You do not lead by hitting people over the head - that's assault, not leadership." --Dwight D. Eisenhower
• "A good leader is not the person who does things right, but the person who finds the right things to do." --Anthony T. Dadovano
• "Leadership rests not only upon ability, not only upon capacity; having the capacity to lead is not enough. The leader must be willing to use it. His leadership is then based on truth and character. There must be truth in the purpose and will power in the character." --Vince Lombardi
• "The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born -- that there is a genetic factor to leadership. This myth asserts that people simply either have certain charismatic qualities or not. That's nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born." --Warren G. Bennis
• "All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much else, is the essence of leadership." --John Kenneth Galbraith
• "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." --John Quincy Adams
• "The quality of leadership, more than any other single factor, determines the success or failure of an organization." --Fred Fiedler and Martin Chemers in Improving Leadership Effectiveness
• "I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers." --Ralph Nader
• "Leadership is a combination of strategy and character. If you must be without one, be without the strategy." --Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf
• "Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and gain confidence, seeing how you react. If you're in control, they're in control." --Tom Landry
• "The art of leadership is saying no, not yes. It is very easy to say yes." --Tony Blair
• "Outstanding leaders go out of the way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it's amazing what they can accomplish." --Sam Walton
• "Leadership is not magnetic personality — that can just as well be a glib tongue. It is not 'making friends and influencing people' -- that is flattery. Leadership is lifting a person's vision to high sights, the raising of a person's performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations." --Peter F. Drucker
• A company is only as good as the people it keeps.
• "Its not cash that fuels the journey of sucess, but its the emotional capital of the company that fuels the growth" ----- CK Prahalad & Garry Hamel

Take control of your destiny with your mind - Law of Attraction

Even before I ever knew anything about the Law of Attraction, this was (is) my motto 'Your vision (which also constitutes your thoughts) WILL ALWAYS determine your destiny'. You may think my destiny is ordained by me alone, no I don't think so. It is faith, which is the substance of things hoped for and the EVIDENCE of things not seen. Faith in motion or doubt is equal to the Law of Attraction. In believing this, I believe faith is tangible. What's the secret? All successful people know the secret. They apply their thoughts to the success they are gaining. The Law of Attraction doesn't care if you are thinking positive or negative, it acts accordingly. Your thoughts will manifest, this is the Law of Attraction. This is The Secret.

Now you know, so what next? Take a deeper look. Create your destiny with your mind? According to this documentary, yes. You think debt, you will keep debt. You think wealth, you will gain wealth. You think happiness, and that is what you will get. If you ponder on your sorrow, the Law of Attraction doesn't care, you will continue to be sorrowful. Emotions play a major role here too. What you think, what you feel and what manifests, will ALWAYS be a match. That is something powerful and says a lot. By shifting thoughts, you can change the course of your day. Your emotions are fed by your thoughts. So when you are emotionally unstable, you can create psychological havoc. You have control, use your mind. Faith?

Yes you can say this is faith. Thinking things into existence. Focus on what you want and desire and think upon that, this is The Secret. You ask, you get an answer, so receive. This is where emotions play in as well. If you want something that you don't see how you will get, receive it and it's yours.

Apply the Law of Attraction to what you want, you don't have to understand it, simply receive it. Some may say it's the 'universe' who 'answers' these wants (thoughts). I believe it's either the blessings of the Lord or a curse. You can make your life a happier experience, just be grateful. When you are grateful, the Law of Attraction recognizes your positive thinking and will result in a positive outcome. To the contrary, complainers, will always be miserable. You have control of your day.

Happiness is a choice, so focus on it. Make pictures of things you desire and focus on them. Be grateful for what you have and receive what you want. Never ponder on the current situation, because the Law of Attraction doesn't care and like I said before, will act according to your thoughts. Your thoughts will manifest. If you desire to be with someone, focus on that. Don't focus on loneliness, the Law of Attraction will keep you lonely. If you want to 'get out of debt', don't focus on 'debt', focus on money and how much you 'will' have. This is simply having faith or doubt and with that being your mindset, is the Law of Attraction. Attraction is NOT always a good thing.

By applying the Law of Attraction positively verses negatively, I am putting faith into action. Knowing this, I can help others. Also, in knowing this, I learn to help myself so that I can help others. Control it, by thinking it and then receiving it. Simple as that!

Are you Engaging your Employees?

India Inc is marching ahead and amidst all the technology, FDI inflows and global competition that one hears about, it's the human capital, which is central to any company's long-term strategy.

However with the globalization of the Indian economy and the realization of the developed world about the availability of talented manpower at a discounted cost, opportunities are abundant for the talented employees.

Today, neither employees nor employers expect long-term relationships. Employees want to move from organizations to organizations , to further their career ambitions, to wriggle out of out of unsatisfying situations, to leverage experience in one organization for a better job in another. Employers, on the other hand, don’t want to be saddled with employees who fail to meet the demanding expectations of the organization stemming out of stiff competition or retain stagnant employees who have reached the end of the learning curve journey and do not add much value to the organization.

However employers have a real struggle on hand with a competitive market, a well informed and demanding customers and shrinking margins. They have to retain their employees, keep them motivated and trained to meet the challenges of competition. However the expectations of the employees are always on the rise. Rarely have we heard of employees accepting the downturn of the company and reducing their salaries. A few companies tried this by force in 2001- 2002 when there was a recession in the IT industry but without much success. Irrespective of the fortunes of the company employees want an increase in their salaries, career growth and a rise in their standard of living and status.

Employers are at a cross road. By not giving into the demands of the employees they run the risk of losing talented employees as the less talented are more likely to stay. To meet the challenges of competition and deliver superior results they need talented employees to stay on. But to give in to their unexpressed demands and keep increasing employee costs adds to their costs and makes them less competitive in the market.

It’s the synergy that comes from people working together and gathering creative ideas that leads to long-term organization wealth creation. That synergy “above and beyond” behavior is evidence of employee engagement.

It’s a delicate balance that HR managers and organizations will have to do.
Employee Engagement
Employee Engagement is a result achieved by stimulating employees’ enthusiasm for their work and directing it toward organizational success. It’s the passion that the employee brings to the job. Its the commitment and the “never say die” attitude and the zeal to succeed.
Engagement calls for striking a new bargain with employees:
• Organizations invest in creating the conditions that make work more meaningful and rewarding for employees.
• And employees, in return, pour extra effort into their work and delivering superior performance.
Engagement can be at different levels:
• Intellectual
• Physical
• Emotional
The engagement challenge is about how an employee feels about the work experience, about how he or she is treated. It has a lot to do with emotions. Research after research have concluded that employee emotions are fundamentally related to—and actually drive—bottom-line success in a company.
There is a constant struggle to win trust and establish credibility. You can have the best of the programs in the world—all of it can be lost in a second if the organization does something to destroy the credibility it has built.
It takes a huge commitment in time and energy for organizations engaging their people. But relative to some of the other investments they make, it has a pretty good return.
James K. Clifton, chairman and CEO of the Gallup Organization, told the Society for Human Resource Management Foundation at its Thought Leaders retreat in 2002 : “I think the next decade is going to be about the emotional economy of the workplace,” he said. “HR has an enormous opportunity to provide organizational leadership by increasing the number of engaged workers....HR is the only one with the answers to increased worker engagement. The question is whether companies and organizations will now turn to HR for their strategic leadership in this area.”
Employee Engagement at APC India

Employee Engagement is woven into the overall Talent Management & Development framework

At APC India we strive to ensure that our employees are Intellectually, Physically and Emotionally engaged.

Intellectual Engagement

We believe that every employee in the organization has the innate ability to be creative. We also believe that creativity, continuous improvement and innovation is not the responsibility and privilege of only a few managers and that it’s the combined responsibility of each and every employee in the company. With this objective, we strive to harness that creativity in the employee through various programs and processes:

v Suggestions Scheme
v Six sigma projects
v Lean projects
v Positive Work Groups
v Small Group Activities
v Continuous Improvement Projects

Every year there is a competition in each one of these projects / programs where employees showcase their talents, their achievements and their contribution to the company. It’s the proudest moment of the year for the employees and the company.

Physical Engagement

We strongly believe that a well informed employee is more productive, disciplined and empathetic towards the company. We also believe that participative management and decision making is the key to the progress of the company. Towards this send we have the following programs / processes, which foster better communication between the employees & the organization & also let employees have a say in the management of the company :

v Employee Committees
v Monthly Communication meetings
v Quarterly Townhall meetings
v Intranet
v Newsletter
v Employee Bulletins / Notice Board

Emotional Engagement

The key to the success of any company is the emotional engagement of the employees. With their “heart & soul” behind them, employees can achieve anything and overcome any challenges. We would like to make “Work as as source of fun”. In this regard we have the following programs that foster “Fun @ work” :

v Employee Assistance Program (Emotional Counselling Service)
v Fun Club
v Annual / Anniversary Day
v Ayudha Pooja
v Family day
v Annual Picnics

Through all these programs, we have ensured that we keep our employees happy, fully engaged and highly productive.

What better way can it be with an attrition rate of around 10%, an Employee Satisfaction Index of 75% and being the winner of the “Highest Hardware Manufacturer exporter” award by MAIT and STPI for the fifth consecutive year.

“Life at APC, its more than just a job…………..”
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About the author: Ramesh Ranjan, is the Director Human Resources - Global Supply Chain & Manufacturing of American Power Coversion India Pvt. Ltd. He has worked in companies like Chevron Texaco India Pvt. Ltd, Praxair India Pvt. Ltd, Co Systems India Pvt. Ltd, Indian Herbs, ITI Ltd spread over a span of 22 years. He was the past Hon. Secretary of the National HRD Network, Bangalore Chapter.

Tata Nano

Ratan Tata has shown the world and to people like Mamta Bannerjee, that with determination, dedication and positive spirit, anything can be achieved. What seemed unsurmountable for years and to many, he has shown is possible. The Nano is a revolution in the car industry. It exposes how the automobile companies for years took the customers for a ride, charging them for their inefficiencies and with scant regard to pricing. Like Capt. Gopinath who made flying affordable and removed the sexist tag of "Luxury" to Flying, Ratan Tata has made owning a car affordable to millions of people, young & old, rich and the not to so rich. Hopefully the politicians will leave him unhindered and let him flourish. Hopefully the cAompetition will follow suit and re-engineer their cars and produce cheaper cars, more affordable yet value for money. Hopefully the customers will stand up and count to be delivered.

In a year of glories, Jai Ho, Slumdog Millionaires, MS Dhoni & company.... Ratan Tata promises to catapult India once again on top of the world in his inimicable style and humility.

Jai Ratan Tata and the whole team of Nano.